The Runaways
by PJOHoOHG
Summary: Some stories told from Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia's POV's about when they ran away leading up to when Percy came to Camp.
1. Reasons

**Chapter 1: Reasons**

**Annabeth's POV**

My life sucks. Christine won't believe me, and she won't call Daddy. I swear, there really are spiders who bite me at night, but she won't believe me. When she thinks I'm not listening, she says things like, "just trying to get attention" or "overactive imagination". She also hates it when I call her Christine, she wants me to call her mommy, but Mommy's mommy, not her. And my little brothers are mean babies. They get me in trouble, even if they don't realize it. Bobby hit me really hard on the foot with his rattle, and I backed into Daddy's bookcase. All the books fell off, so Daddy and Christine got mad at me. Mommy came to see me once and said I'd be okay, but Christine doesn't even want me, and she won't let me tell Daddy about the spiders.

"But the spiders are real! The bites just keep disappearing!" I protested.

"Honey, I don't know if you're just trying to get attention, or if you think they're real, but they aren't real. Look, there are no spider bites, and how could they just disappear?" Christine knelt down next to me.

"Mommy believed me." I pouted.

"You've never even seen your mommy." Christine sighed.

"Yes I have. If you don't believe me, just call and ask her." I handed her a card Mommy gave me.

Christine took the card and looked confused.

"When did Athena come to see you?" Christine questioned.

"A week ago. She said I would be okay, and that she wishes you and Daddy would believe me." I answered.

"Go to your room sweetie." Christine said as she got up and reached for the phone.

See? I didn't even do anything, and she's sending me to my room. She just doesn't like me. I went to my room like she asked, but I didn't stay there. I grabbed Teddy (my bear), my backpack, some shirts and pants and underwear and socks, and a couple of other things I wanted and snuck through my bedroom window. I'm not staying to see the spiders, and Christine doesn't want me, and Daddy tried to send me back to Mommy when I was a baby. I wouldn't find out until years later that Christine had called Mommy and Mommy had convinced her of the truth. Then Christine and Daddy looked everywhere for me, but couldn't find me. I had run away.

**A few years earlier...**

**Thalia's POV**

Mom is so annoying. She's drunk constantly, and I have to take care of Jason. He tried to eat a stapler last week, so I had to take him to the doctors office while Mom got over her hangover. He had to get three stitches, so she's lucky I brought money with me. At least she brought us to the park today, Jason stares everytime we pass it. I had to go to the bathroom, so I left him with her.

"Stay, and don't do anything stupid." I commanded.

She waved me off and I left for the bathroom. When I came back, she was nowhere to be found. I ran around the park for fibe minutes until I saw her grinning like an idiot. Alone.

"Where's Jason?!" I demanded.

"I held up my end of the deal, so I hope she holds up hers." Mom grinned.

"Who? What are you talking about?!" I was angry.

Mom just giggled. I searched everywhere, but I couldn't find Jason. My mom lost my baby brother. Later that night, I took some obvious necessities, put them in a giant backpack, and walked right out the front door. Mom was in the living room, passed out with one of her acting gigs playing on the TV and an empty bottle of Vodka next to her on the couch. I just ran away.

**Around the same time as Thalia...**

**Luke's POV**

Mom is nuts! She almost ate rat poison, thinking it was hot sauce. Trying to be the Oracle drove her nuts. Dad drove her nuts. If Hermes hadn't have been with her, she wouldn't have even known the Oracle was real. But I wouldn't be alive either. I don't care, the point is that I would do anything not to see Mom this way. I couldn't take it anymore, I got rid of all the dangerous stuff in the house, told a neighbor that I needed more help with Mom, packed some stuff, and left. I just can't take it anymore. I'll miss Mom and I love her, but I can't take it anymore. So I'm running away.


	2. How We Met

**Chapter 2: How We Met**

**(A/N: Because at least one person followed/favorited this story, I'll keep going. But I prefer reviews *hint hint*.)**

**Before Annabeth's timeline...**

**Luke's POV**

After I left home, I wandered around randomly. Right now, I'm in an alley in New York, looking for something random I could use. Then I heard a noise. I turned and saw some dark figures slowly heading towards me. Crap. Then they saw me and started running to me.

"Demigod." One whispered.

Upon further examination, they were cyclopses. They tried to strike me, but I used my sword to block them and cut off a cyclops' arm. We continued fighting and I killed about half of them, but one suddenly slashed me across the back while I was fighting another one.

"Gah!" I yelled out in pain.

"I'm going to eat him." The cyclops who slashed me said.

"I don't think so." A feminine voice said.

Suddenly, a girl ran to the cyclopses and as soon as she showed them her shield, they tried to run away in fear. But she didn't let them get away, she slashed and stabbed them all from behind. Then she caught her breath and turned to walk over to me. She froze and got a curious look on her face, then she shook her head and continued walking over to me.

"You okay?" She helped me up.

"Fine... Ouch!" My back hurt.

She turned me around to look at my back and said, "Come with me, I'll help you fix your back."

"Okay." I agreed.

So I followed her back to a hospital.

"The hospital, really?" I was nervous.

"We're not staying, I'm just borrowing a first aid kit from a doctor friend." She vaguely explained.

"Okay then. What's your name?" I asked.

"Thalia. Yours?" She answered.

"Luke." I replied.

"You know your a demigod, right?" Thalia asked.

"Son of Hermes." I responded.

"That explains the mischievous look and the green eyes." She decided.

"And your parent is Hades?" I guessed.

"No." She giggled. "What would make you think that?"

"Dark hair, dark clothes, scares cyclopses." I listed.

"Zeus." She smiled.

"Oh. That explains the electric blue eyes." I noted.

"Yep." She grinned.

Then we stopped in a room with a doctor who's hair made it look like he'd been electrocuted.

"Hi Albert." Thalia greeted.

"Ah, hello sister." The man said.

"Albert? Sister?" I questioned.

"Albert Einstein. He's a child of Zeus." Thalia was vague.

"Isn't he dead? And I thought Einstein was a child of Athena?" I was confused.

"He's named after the original, and the real one isn't dead, Athena made him immortal. This one's immortal too, but for different reasons." Thalia giggled.

"But thank you for comparing me to his genius." Albert said.

"Sure." I was still confused.

Guess that's what I get for being blonde.

"Here it is. Albert, can we borrow your med kit?" Thalia asked.

"Of course." Albert agreed.

"Take off your shirt." Thalia ordered.

"What?!" I blushed.

"I meant so that I can treat your wounds." Thalia scowled and blushed at the same time.

"Oh. Okay." I felt stupid.

Thalia's look softened and she came to sit with me. I took my jacket and my shirt off so she could fix the scratches on my back. I immediately felt a cold liquid on my back and it stung. It must've been hydrogen peroxide.

"Hold still and this'll go a lot faster." Thalia said.

"Okay." I agreed.

She eventually put some cotton and gauze on my back to patch me up. Perfect.

"Okay, you're fixed for a while at least." She admired her work.

"Okay. Will I ever see you again?" I asked.

I just realized how stupid that sounded.

"Depends, are you the solo type, or do you want to help me survive. Not that I need help." She smiled.

"I'll help." I grinned.

"Lovebirds." Albert coughed.

We both stared at him funny. It looks like I have a new partner in crime.

**A few years later...**

**Annabeth's POV**

I'm cold. That stupid monster shredded my jacket. I'm hungry. Another stupid monster ate my food. All I have left is a bunch of dirty clothes in a backpack, a hammer, and Teddy. At least I have Teddy.

"What should we do Teddy?" I asked.

He didn't answer. He never seems to. Maybe he's just the strong silent type of teddy bear. Or maybe he can't talk. Poor Teddy. We're huddled together in some alleyway somewhere. On some of the movies Daddy and I watched, they said alleys were dangerous. I've seen more monsters in public than in alleys though. Then I heard a noise. Two sets of footsteps. I jumped up with Teddy and hid in the nearest box.

"What was that noise?" One said.

"I don't know, lets go check." Another said.

So I got ready and had the hammer in my hands.

"Over here." One whispered.

"In the box?" The other said.

"On the count of three." The first one said.

"One, two, three!" They both counted.

Then the box flipped and I came tumbling out with the hammer over my head. I landed on my knees in front of them. They looked normal, but monsters were good at using the mist.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you." The girl said.

"That's what all monsters say." I countered.

"Would all monsters give you this?" The boy threw a knife on the ground in front of me.

I picked it up and surveyed it. It was a celestial bronze dagger. It was kind of cool.

"You'd be better off with that than a hammer." The boy reasoned.

"And he wouldn't give that knife to just anybody." The girl added.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"Thalia, daughter of Zeus." The girl answered.

"Luke." The boy answered. "What's your name?"

"Annabeth." I told them.

My stomach growled again. I was still hungry.

"Are you hungry?" Thalia asked.

"Yes." I said.

"We can give you food." Luke offered.

I put my hammer in my backpack and grabbed Teddy. Then I walked with them. We suddenly stopped in front of a pizza place and walked inside. We sat down at a booth and Thalia looked at a menu. Luke smiled at me. I like him, he's nice. A waitress came over and gave me a funny look.

"Fun day at the park." Thalia explained. "A medium pepperoni and sausage pizza please."

Thalia pulled out some money and the waitress took it with a smile.

"We'll have to find a place for you to get cleaned up later." Luke decided.

"Okay." I agreed.

"How old are you?" Thalia asked.

"Seven." I answered. "How old are you two?"

"We're both twelve." Luke smiled.

He has a nice smile. A few minutes later, the waitress came back with our pizza. We split it into thirds and I didn't hesitate to stuff myself. Luke and Thalia giggled.

"Annabeth, do you want to stay with is for a while? We would be happy to help you. You don't have to be alone anymore." Thalia offered.

"We could all be friends." Luke suggested.

"Okay. I hate being alone anyway." I agreed.

We all grinned and I knew we would be friends for life.


	3. Getting Comfortable

**Chapter 3: Getting Comfortable**

**(A/N: Review or I'm not finishing. I'm sorry.)**

**Annabeth's POV**

After we ate pizza, we went to a hospital in New York (which I found out is where we were). They had a man named Albert (who reminded me of my older brother Einstein) check to see if I was healthy, and so I could use one of the showers in patients' rooms. While I was showering, Thalia found somewhere to clean my clothes and I felt clean again. When I was dressed was when Albert gave me a checkup.

"She's all clear, she should just make sure to eat and exercise correctly." Albert said.

"Great." Thalia smiled.

"Perfect." Luke agreed.

Luke's really nice. Thalia's nice too, but there's something about Luke.

"Can we go now?" I asked. "No offense Albert."

"None taken." Albert smiled.

"Come on, we have to show you where we sleep anyway." Thalia decided.

"Yeah, you might find it interesting." Luke got a mischievous smile.

So we walked outside and Luke and Thalia walked up to a van that reminded me of Scooby Doo, but with less color.

"You sleep in a van?" I asked.

"It's better than the street." Luke said.

Thalia nodded in agreement.

"I like it. But we should paint it to look like the Mystery Machine." I grinned.

Thalia giggled.

"What, don't you like blue?" Luke smiled.

"I do, but it reminds me of Scooby Doo." I giggled.

"Maybe when we get some money that we don't have to use on food and gas." Thalia compromised.

Luke gave her a funny look, but she didn't care. I grinned. Then we got into the van and Luke plopped on a mattress. There was a second mattress that probably belonged to Thalia. Both had blankets and pillows.

"We don't have a third mattress, so you'll have to sleep with one of us." Thalia said apologetically.

I was thinking about Luke, but that would probably seem weird. So I sat down on one corner of Thalia's mattress. Then I noticed the TV.

"Does that work?" I pointed at the TV.

"Yeah, Luke stole it from some magical guy before he met me and hid it when monsters attacked. Apparently, it works without being connected to anything." Thalia grinned.

"Cool. I haven't watched TV in three weeks." I grinned.

"Watch away. But try not to use the laptop unless it's necessary, because monsters will attack." Thalia warned.

"Okay." I'm still shocked about the TV.

Magic has it's advantages. I ended up watching _Spongebob_.

"_LEEDLE LEEDLE LEEDLE LEE!_" _Patrick_ said on the _Flying Dutchman_..

Thalia and I giggled. Luke was just snoring.

"Annabeth, can I ask you a question?" Thalia asked.

"Shoot." I said.

"Do you like Luke?" She questioned.

"Yeah, I like both of you." I giggled.

"No. I mean, do you like him more than me?" She seemed curious.

"Uh..." I didn't know how to answer that.

"It's okay if you do, I'm just wondering. In what way do you like him?" She pushed.

"Um... I don't know. He's really nice, and funny, and I like it when he smiles." I offered.

"Do you think he looks cute?" Thalia asked.

"Yes..." I blushed.

"I think you have a crush on him. It's okay because I do too, so I understand." Thalia smiled.

"You like him too?" I asked.

"Yes." Thalia looked over at him for a second.

"Don't worry about me then. I think Luke likes you too, so don't worry about me." I said.

"Are you sure?" Thalia looked a little confused.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. You've known him longer, and I'm way younger." I said.

It bugged me a little, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

"Okay, thanks." Thalia gave me a hug.

I laid my head down to go to sleep and scooted closer to Thalia. I like her, she's nice. I've never had an older sister. Thalia scooted closer to me too, and I was warm when I went to sleep for the first time since I ran away. I think I'll like it here with them.


	4. Training

**Chapter 4: Training**

**Annabeth's POV**

When I woke up, Luke and Thalia were talking in the front seats of the van.

"What do you mean she likes me a lot?" Luke chuckled.

"I think she has a crush on you, but don't say anything. She'd probably get mad at me if she heard me right now." Thalia giggled.

"Got that right." I groaned sleepily.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Thalia turned red.

"S'okay." I muttered.

"Are you ready for training?" Luke wiggled his eyebrows.

"Yes!" I grinned.

"Come on then, I'll show you how to use that knife." Luke referred to the knife he gave me.

I jumped up excitedly and ran outside as Luke followed behind me at a walking pace. Thalia sat on top of the van to watch. Luke and I got into position to fight and he used a makeshift wooden knife.

"Ready?" He asked.

"Ready." I nodded.

We got into a fight that lasted three seconds before he knocked the knife out of my hand.

"Want to try again?" Luke handed me my knife.

"Yes." I said.

We got into position again. I failed. Again. I failed. Again. Another failure.

"I suck at using a knife! I should just stick to the hammer or let the monsters get me." I was frustrated.

"Don't say that. You just need practice. Besides, it takes a clever warrior to use a knife like this, and you're a daughter of Athena, right?" Luke smiled.

"Yes." I grinned.

So we tried again and again until I finally knocked the knife out of Luke's hand.

"Perfect, now if you can do that a lot in battle, you'll be golden." Luke flashed a grin.

I liked his grin.

"Now can you do it again?" He challenged.

So we got into position and I knocked his knife out of his hand everytime I tried.

"You'll be a great swordsman. Or swordswoman. However you say it." Luke smiled.

Years later, I would be, and the only people who could beat me in a fair fight would be Luke and Percy.

"Now let's go test out your skills on some monsters. I know it can be hard to jump right in, but it can also majorly improve your skills. Besides, you'll have me and Thalia as backup." Luke suggested.

"Okay." I was a little reluctant.

Thalia hopped off the van and walked over to us with her weapon ready.

"Do either of you have a shield?" I asked.

Luke glanced at Thalia.

"I do." Thalia confirmed.

"Where is it?" I asked.

Thalia did something to her bracelet and Medusa's head popped out.

"Gah!" I covered my eyes.

"It's just the design on my shield, but it's good to know you covered your eyes reflexively. That could help you if you ever run into her." Thalia seemed apologetic about the shield.

It would help me when I was twelve.

"Lets go." Luke said.

So we walked to a park. I think it was Central Park. There were a bunch of spiders by the trees, and I grabbed Thalia and started to shiver in fear.

"Children of Athena are afraid of spiders, so we'll avoid the trees." Thalia offered.

Thank God. Then we walked over by the pond and some baby cyclopses were taking a bath.

"We can't kill them. They're innocent babies, and cyclopses can be good." Luke decided.

Good, I can't kill something that cute. So we continued walking until we saw a Telekhine attacking two little boys by the pond. We immediately ran up to the Telekhine and I stabbed it. The Telekhine exploded into yellow dust that covered the boys.

"That was cool!" One boy said.

"Can you do it again?" His twin begged.

"Who are you?" I was a little confused.

"Are you demigods?" One of the twins asked.

"Because we are." The other one muttered.

"Yes." Thalia looked confused.

"Travis Stoll, son of Hermes." The first twin announced.

"Connor Stoll, son of Hermes." The second twin introduced himself.

"Luke Castellan, son of Hermes." Luke said.

"Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus." Thalia introduced herself.

"Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena." I added.

"Connor! Travis!" A woman's voice yelled out.

"See you at Camp!" The Stolls said.

"What camp?" I asked.

"Camp Half-Blood." Travis was vague.

"In Long Island. If you see a satyr, he'll probably take you." Connor elaborated.

Then the Stolls ran to wherever the woman's voice came from.

"My mom took me to Camp once." Luke said.

"Maybe we should go to Camp, I'm getting sick of living on the street. Besides, we have to think about Annabeth's safety now." Thalia suggested.

"Not now, but maybe soon. I know we should, but she should also learn how to take care of herself when the Camp's not close enough to help." Luke compromised.

"I guess you're right, but it does need to be soon." Thalia agreed.

"We're not leaving the van, are we?" I asked.

"No, we can still take it to Camp. We just can't drive it inside the camp unless it's necessary." Luke promised.

Then a bright light shined behind us. We turned around, and there was a lady who looked kind of like me.

"Who are you?" I asked.

She smiled like I do.

"Your mother, Athena." She smiled.

Mommy!

"Really?!" I was excited.

"Really." She grinned.

I jumped and ran to hug her, but I was mostly hugging her leg.

"Good to see you too." She giggled.

"You're Athena?" Luke seemed confused.

"Why are you here?" Thalia asked.

"To warn you." Athena seemed a little more serious.

"About what Mommy?" I was curious.

"The Gods and Goddesses aren't very happy about the fact that Zeus has a daughter, and some of them may come after you. I have nothing personal against you, and you're Annabeth's friend, so I came to warn you. And I won't be the one chasing after you." Athena explained.

"Why do the Gods hate me so much?" Thalia was angry.

"Because Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades made a pact not to have more children, but Zeus had you. I suppose we're lucky they haven't figured out about Percy and Jason yet." The last part was almost inaudible, but I heard it.

Athena knelt down to me. "Just be careful dear. And be careful if you meet another child of the Big Three, he has a dangerous destiny. And just so you know, you're mortal family is still searching for you. They do love you." She whispered.

That child of the Big Three would end up being my boyfriend. Athena gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"Close your eyes, you unfortunately can't handle my pure form." Athena said.

We all closed our eyes and there was a flash of light, then Athena was gone.

"We should get to Camp soon." Thalia looked worried.

"This will definitely quicken the pace. We have to stop at my mom's house for the map to Camp first. I saw her hide it before..." Luke cut himself off.

What's wrong with his mother?

"Then we need to hurry. I don't like the way Athena said that the Gods weren't happy about my existence." Thalia looked anxious.

I can understand her point.

"First, lets go celebrate a little and get some ice cream. Annabeth did good." Luke suggested.

"Fine. She did good." Thalia reluctantly agreed.

So we walked to an ice cream shop and Luke got three vanilla ice cream cones. Vanilla, the generic brand everyone loves. We had a good day that day. Then we went to the van and Luke started driving to wherever his mom's house was.


	5. Hermes

**Chapter 5: Hermes**

**Annabeth's POV**

"How do you know how to drive?" I asked.

"Thalia taught me." Luke was vague.

"How do you know how to drive?" I directed to Thalia.

"I had to learn because my mom was a drunk who wasn't legally allowed to drive. I learned when I was six." Thalia was a little more explanitory.

"Oh. Can I learn how to drive?" I asked.

"Who do you want to teach you?" Thalia grinned.

"Both of you." I was diplomatic.

"Are you sure you don't have a preference for a certain blonde?" Thalia teased.

Luke grinned.

"No, but I know you do." I countered.

Luke barely held in his laugh with a snort.

"Fine, we'll both teach you." Thalia admitted defeat.

Luke laughed quietly.

"Shut up Blondie." Thalia scowled.

"Whatever you say Rebel." Luke said.

"Aw, you even have pet names. You're so whipped." I teased.

Luke's jaw dropped and he laughed.

"Do you know what that means?" Thalia questioned.

"I spend too much time with my Aunt Kate." I was vague.

"Smart***." Luke giggled.

"Luke! She's seven!" Thalia got after him.

"I've been called that before, I'm good." I said.

We smiled for the rest of the car ride.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Westport Connecticut." Luke identified.

"This is where your mom lives?" Thalia asked.

"Yes." Luke muttered.

For some reason, he didn't seem happy. We pulled up next to a pretty house with some decorations like a caduceus and a small statue of Hermes in the front yard. It was dark outside when we got there.

"You should not have returned." A voice boomed.

It scared me and I grabbed Thalia for comfort. She did the same thing to me. If the moment weren't so serious, I would've teased her about it for the rest of our lives. Then a man appeared. He was wearing a green mailman outfit and holding a cell phone with tow snakes on it. It was Hermes.

"Why not?" Luke seemed angry.

"You know why not." Hermes stared at Luke calmly.

"Why didn't you come or help me when I was hiding from her? I prayed desperately for your help." Luke had a calm rage going.

"I couldn't. And I know your fate." Hermes answered.

"You do? Tell me what it is. Hal wouldn't tell me and Mom's too crazy to give a straight answer." Luke begged.

"I can't, it will only make things worse and ensure your fate." Hermes refused to answer.

That's one thing I still disagree with him about to this very day. Luke could've changed, it could've been someone else's fate. But it also indirectly brought me to Percy.

"How can I love you if you're never there for me?!" Luke looked on the verge of tears.

I still think he was right. This is the first and only time I know he met Hermes, and even Athena helps her children. Zeus has helped Thalia before. So why couldn't Hermes help Luke.

"Leave now. Goodbye son." Hermes commanded.

We closed our eyes reflexively as Hermes disappeared. Thalia went and hugged Luke. He was crying. He muttered something.

"I know, but it'll be okay." Thalia promised.

Luke wiped away his tears, politely made Thalia move, and walked into his mother's house. We heard her squeal in delight and say something to the effect of: "How was third grade today?" Then it was quiet. A few minutes later, Luke came out with a paper in his hand and a broken look on his face.

"Have a good day at school!" Luke's mom called.

He flinched. Luke walked to the van and got in. We did the same. We didn't have to ask what was wrong with his mom. She must be crazy, or have some disease or memory loss.

"What's your mom's name?" I figured that was a safe question.

"May. Her name is May." Luke seemed more calm now.

"When can you teach me how to drive?" I changed the subject.

"Maybe tomorrow." He smiled.

"Okay." I smiled back.

"Try to get some sleep, it'll be a long day tomorrow." Luke suggested.

I obeyed without question. I was getting sleepy anyway. So I fell asleep on Thalia's mattress.

**Thalia's POV**

Hermes was cruel. Luke just came home, what's wrong with that? And either way, we're going to Camp soon, so it shouldn't matter.

"You gonna be okay?" I asked when Annabeth was asleep.

I'm glad she changed the subject like that. I don't think Luke wanted to talk about it.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. You should get some sleep. I'll sleep when we can park somewhere safe." Luke painted his smile on.

"Okay." I kissed his cheek.

I hope he'll be okay, I really do care about him.

"Goodnight Luke." I said.

"Goodnight Thalia." Luke smiled.

Then I tried to fall asleep. It worked after a few minutes.

**Luke's POV**

I kept driving for a little while, but I knew I needed to stop and sleep soon. Then I saw something on the side of the road, and I'm pretty sure I'm not hallucinating. So like an idiot, I pulled over to see what it was. When I got out of the car, a ghostly figure smiled at me.

"You're already on the path Luke Castellan." He laughed in the scariest voice I've ever heard.

"What are you talking about? Who are you?" I was nervous.

"I am someone who will help you solve your problems." He had a creepy grin.

"How?" I was curious.

"Do you want revenge on your father? To ensure Annabeth and Thalia's safety from monsters? To have a family who cares about you?" He offered.

All of those things sound good.

"How?" I pressed.

"Just agree to help me occasionally, and I'll help you." He grinned.

He's offering me so much. But what if it's a trap? I have an idea.

"Okay, I'll help you." I lied.

I might be able to pull this off.

"Good, I'll come see you again when I need you, or with the details." The ghostly figure gave an evil grin.

Then he disappeared and I woke up. Now I remember, I've been asleep for a couple of hours. I knew what I had to do when I got to Camp. I nervously fell asleep.


	6. Fate

**Chapter 6: Fate**

**Annabeth's POV**

When I woke up the next day, Luke and Thalia weren't in the van. I got up and looked aroubd to see if they were just hidden in the front seats, but they weren't there either. I opened the door and looked outside. Luke and Thalia were hugging and standing in front of a dune buggy.

"What are you two doing?" I asked.

They turned around and grinned at me.

"Setting up the dune buggy." Luke was vague.

"So we can teach you how to drive." Thalia elaborated.

I grinned and hopped out of the van. I looked at the dune buggy and saw that Luke was installing an engine, a gas pedal, and brakes.

"Where did you get it?" I was excited.

"Stole parts from a nearby junk yard." Luke grinned.

"You're starting to sound as mischievous as your siblings." Thalia rolled her eyes.

Luke finished fixing the engine, attached the gas pedal, and secured the brakes.

"I'm gonna take it out for a safety test." Thalia grinned as she stole the makeshift keys and hopped in the dune buggy.

She just wanted to drive it first. Thalia turned it on and started driving. She drove around for a couple of minutes before she finally parked and got out.

"It's safe. Annabeth, get in the driver's seat, Luke and I will get into the passenger seats." Thalia said.

And that's what we did, but Luke somehow won the front passenger's seat in a coin toss. Luke and Thalia explained what to do and told me to try what I learned. According to Daddy, I retain information like a sponge, so I should remember. I started trying to drive and it didn't seem as hard. Until I tapped the van. _Ding!_

"I suck at driving! I hit the van within five seconds." I whined.

"I hit the garage door in three." Thalia reminisced.

"I hit the cement in two." Luke grinned. "Now stop that quitter attitude, you did that when I taught you to use the knife too. Use your skills as a child of Athena and memorize what _not_ to do so you know what _to_ do." He ordered.

I hung my head in shame. Luke tried to touch my hand to make me feel better. That gave me the kick in the butt to start trying again. I immediately backed up the way Daddy and Christine do, but faster, and turned around to start driving. I remembered a time when Daddy ran through three red lights to escape the monsters that were chasing the car. I did the same thing, but there were no red lights. In my peripheral vision, I saw Luke and Thalia holding on to their seat belts with scared looks on their faces. I drove onto the main road, went the speed limit, stopped at a red light and slowed down at a yellow one, did a U-turn, went straight through the lights that were now green, pulled off the main road, and parked. Luke and Thalia were breathing heavily and I just smiled.

"Now we just need to work on your parallel parking." Luke finally said.

"Please don't do it now." Thalia begged. "Later."

"I thought the only thing you were afraid of was heights." Luke nervously laughed.

"It was. Now it's heights, and Annabeth's driving. If you don't speed again, unless it's necessary, I might get over the second fear." Thalia breathed.

I got what I'm guessing was a big goofy grin. Luke and Thalia grinned too, but they still looked a little nervous. They relaxed a little when I got out of the driver's seat.

"What did you expect? I'm seven." I giggled.

They both laughed in agreement. Luke went into the van to get the map, and Thalia came to stand beside me.

"I'm guessing it was more Luke's hand than his pep talk that made you drive that well that quick." Thalia smiled.

I giggled nervously.

"Shut up." I simply stated.

She giggled too. Luke came back with the map.

"It shouldn't be that far away, so do you guys want to go and get some pizza?" Luke asked.

"Yes!" I really wanted pizza.

"Sure, why not." Thalia agreed.

So we walked to a Domino's a couple of blocks away. We went inside and were greeted by a nice lady clerk.

"What would you like to order?" She smiled.

"Pepperoni pizza with bread sticks." Thalia drew out her money.

"No charge." The lady smiled.

"Why?" Thalia seemed suspicious.

"Because it might be the last time you eat for a while." She giggled.

"What do you mean, and who are you?" Luke questioned.

"I mean, there are a bunch of cyclopses outside waiting for you. And my name is Delphi." She grinned.

"Delphi? I thought the Oracle was a mummy because of Hades' curse?" Luke was confused.

"Oh, she is. I'm not an Oracle, I'm just an immortal daughter of Apollo. He named me after the city Delphi." Delphi explained.

"Okay. Can you see the future though?" I was curious.

"Only glimpses, and I don't use the rhyming lines with double meanings. Not unless you want me to anyway. No offense to Dad, but I don't really like rhyming prophecies and future glimpses." Delphi answered.

"You can see glimpses of the future?" Luke's eyebrow arched.

"Yes, and I can tell you a small part of your fortune. Would you like me to tell you what I can see of your future?" Delphi offered. "Ah, the pizza is done."

She ran over and grabbed our pizza out of the oven.

"How did you do that? You've been talking to us and no one's here." I was curious.

"There are invisible servants. Sort of like Calypso's island." She was vague. "Come Annabeth, I'd like to do your fortune first. You're so lucky."

Luke and Thalia stared in confusion as Delphi dragged me to a corner. They started to eat their shares of the pizza.

"You're lucky, you get a true hero. Not like those bigshots who are so full of themselves, you get a modest and humble one." Delphi seemed excited.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Your boyfriend, he'll be a true hero. Loyal, kind, brave, selfless, and he's even cute." Delphi giggled.

"Do you know who he is?" I questioned.

At this rate, Thalia will get Luke, so it's probably someone else.

"Oh yes, but I can't tell you." She grinned.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because my father knows your here and he says not to tell you." Delphi rolled her eyes at the sky.

I'm not even going to ask how they communicated.

"Can you tell me anything else?" I sighed.

Delphi's eyes suddenly glazed over and green smoke came out of her mouth.

"_I am the Oracle. I shall speak through this daughter of Apollo_." Delphi said in a strange voice.

"What are you going to say?" I was nervous.

"_A daughter of Athena shall help the two heroes of Olympus rise,_

_No answers shall come from the king of the skies,_

_One hero shall rise to fame,_

_And the other shall die in shame,_

_Whether she helps one or all,_

_Shall decide whether Olympus will rise or fall_." The Oracle gave a prophecy through Delphi.

I never forgot one word of the prophecy. Luke and Thalia ran over as I cowered in fear of Delphi. Delphi's eyes returned to normal, and the green smoke went back inside her mouth. She coughed and looked confused. Then she grinned.

"Yes! The Oracle spoke through _me_! What did she say Annabeth?" Delphi seemed excited.

I was shaking and holding on to Luke and Thalia. I decided to write it down on a napkin and gave it to Delphi. She read it and looked up seriously.

"I suppose your a big part of the prophecy without anyone noticing. But if they read this and hear that you got this prophecy, you'll be famous." Delphi seemed to be thinking about something.

"I'd rather not be famous, so if you could pretend that your father told you not to reveal the prophecy..." I started.

"Oh, of course. That kind of fame could ruin your prophecy, so keep it to yourself until the time is right." Delphi handed me the napkin.

"What was in the prophecy?" Luke and Thalia asked in unison.

"Later." I pleaded.

They both nodded in agreement. I walked over and started to eat my pizza while Delphi asked Luke to be next.

**Luke's POV**

I sat down in a booth with Delphi so she could tell me some of my future.

"I don't know any full details about your fate, but I may be able to shed some light on the subject." Delphi clarified.

"Okay. Shed away." I said.

"You're a big part of Annabeth's prophecy, but I can't tell you which part. You'll have to find that out when the time is right." Delphi was vague.

"That's more than anyone else has told me." I sighed.

"Hermes should have told you. Apollo should give me enough sight to tell you. I think you could prevent any bad parts of your fate if you just knew." Delphi rolled her eyes at the ceiling.

"Anything else?" I hoped.

"You will die in fame when the time comes. It's not that close though, so don't worry." Delphi glimpsed.

"Most demigod's have a short lifespan anyway, so I'm not too worried." I lied.

I'm slightly worried, just not as much as a mortal would be.

"Good, now send your girlfriend over." Delphi requested.

I turned red. "She's not my..."

"She will be eventually." Delphi played with her nails.

Then her eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry father, it just slipped." Delphi seemed nervous.

Thalia's going to be my girlfriend! I went over and sent her to Delphi.

**Thalia's POV**

I went over to Delphi to see what my future was. What was with Luke's big grin? I'll have to ask him later.

"Want to know what was up with Luke's grin?" Delphi seemed to read my mind.

"Yes." I rolled my eyes.

"Oh come on Dad, I told him, I might as well tell her." Delphi looked up.

I gave her a funny look.

"Luke will eventually be your boyfriend." Delphi giggled.

I got wide-eyed. "What?"

"And I hope you like trees." Delphi smirked.

Then she got an annoyed look on her face. "It was funny, and I didn't directly tell her, so shut up Dad."

"What was that about me liking trees?" I questioned.

"Nothing." She sighed.

"Tell me. What did you mean?" I asked.

"I also hope you like my favorite aunt. Aunt Artemis..." She suddenly said, "Ouch! _Sorry_ Dad."

"Huh?" I was confused.

"Time for you to go, sorry dear." Delphi said and made all of us leave.

We were standing in front of a bunch of hungry looking cyclopses.


	7. First Kiss

**Chapter 7: First Kiss**

**Thalia's POV**

Oh crap. About twenty cyclopses, and we're not even prepared. At least we made a backup plan for this kind of situation.

"Plan Psi?" I suggested.

"Plan Psi." Luke agreed.

"What's plan psi?" Annabeth was confused.

"The resort before our last resort. Because psi comes before omega in the greek alphabet, and omega's the last letter." I explained.

"But what is it?" Annabeth pressed.

"Run!" Luke yelled.

That's Plan Psi. And that's exactly what we did. We ran and the cyclopses bellowed after us. I tripped on a can and a cyclops scratched my back deeply.

"Gah!" I screamed.

I suddenly saw Luke and Annabeth attack all of the cyclopses and kill them. They both had pretty impressive fighting skills. Then I passed out.

**Luke's POV**

After we killed all of the cyclopses, I noticed that Thalia was unconscious. I ran over to her in a panic and tried to wake her up.

"Please, please wake up." I tried lightly slapping her face.

Then I did something I've always wanted to do. I slapped her really hard and screamed, "Wake up!"

She still didn't wake up. Annabeth suddenly pooped up next to me. She poured a bucket of icy water over Thalia.

"Gah!" Thalia sputtered awake.

But she wasn't all there.

"Luke..." She groaned.

"It was her." I was innocent.

"Luke..." She repeated.

"She's probably in shock, lets get her to the hospital." Annabeth suggested.

"How do you know?" I questioned.

"I watch a lot of TV, and I visit the doctor a lot." Annabeth simply stated.

Fair point. So we dragged her to the van and then drove her to the hospital. Then we dragged her inside and brought her to Albert.

"Can you fix her? Please?" I begged literally on my knees.

"Of course I can, what else is a son of Zeus and a doctor good for?" Albert was sarcastic.

He put her into a hospital room and fixed her up. He said she'd probably be out until tomorrow though. I grabbed a chair and sat next to her bed protectively. I held her hand and she muttered something nearly unintelligable.

"Love you..." She muttered.

I grinned. Annabeth was in the corner giggling. After a while, Annabeth and I fell asleep. When I woke up, Annabeth had moved her chair next to mine and was asleep. Thalia was still out cold. So I got up and left the hospital. I walked to a flower shop and bought about a dozen roses in a bunch, got a card, and went back to the hospital. When I got back, Annabeth and Thalia were awake and looked nervous. They were talking to Albert.

"Albert, I want to know where he is. Can you just check around the hospital?" Thalia asked.

"Fine." Albert agreed.

"I suck at being a guard." Annabeth hung her head.

"No you don't. And I just went to get some flowers." I announced my presence.

Thalia looked surprised and relieved, Annabeth looked excited, and Albert smiled. I walked over and gave Thalia the card and flowers. She smiled at the flowers and read the card. I had written, _Get Well Soon Thunderhead_ on it. She looked like she was about to cry.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry I called you Thunderhead." I started to worry.

Thalia silenced me by pulling me down and kissing me. It wasn't the usual kiss on the cheek, it was a full-blown kiss on the lips. When we came up for air, she said, "Thanks. No one's ever gotten me a card for anything other than you buying one for my birthday."

I grinned. Annabeth and Albert were suppressing giggles, but Annabeth also seemed bothered by something. I gave Annabeth a kiss on the cheek and she grinned the way I grin when I'm about to steal something. Thalia was my first kiss, and as far as I know, I'm her first kiss too. I grinned like an idiot until another kid came into the room. He wasn't just any kid, he had a hint of facial hair and he reminded me of a satyr.

"Daughter of Zeus, son of Hermes, and daughter of Athena? Hey Albert! Haven't seen you in a while!" The kid asked.

"Who are you?" Annabeth voiced everyone but Albert's question.

"Grover, demigod protector." He said.

"Your a satyr?" Thalia asked.

"Yep, and I've been assigned to bring you to Camp Half-Blood by Chiron." Grover confirmed.

"Nice to see you too little buddy." Albert smiled.

"You're taking us to Camp?" I questioned.

"Yeah. And what happened to her?" Grover looked at Thalia.

"Twenty cyclopses." Annabeth answered.

"Oh, okay. Whenever you guys are ready, lets go." Grover suggested.


	8. Grover The Satyr

**Chapter 8: Grover The Satyr**

**Annabeth's POV**

After Grover met us at the hospital, he decided that we needed to move quickly.

"We need more time. Thalia doesn't have any Nectar or Ambrosia and she just _barely_ got a bunch of deep gashes from a cyclops attack. _Twenty_ cyclopses to be exact." Luke wanted more time.

"_I've_ got some Nectar and Ambrosia, so let's go." Grover seemed uncomfortable with staying here.

"Even with Nectar and Ambrosia, it takes more time unless you give her a lot, but if you give her too much, she could get worse and die." Luke argued.

"We have to leave _now_, so just take the proper amount and let's go." Grover seemed extremely nervous.

"Even with the normal amount, she might not make it all they way. So give us more time." Luke said the last part in an angry staccato.

I don't like Luke when he's angry. It makes me nervous.

"At least give us a couple more hours Grover." Thalia seemed to sense Luke's anger too.

"Please." I begged the way only a seven year old can.

"Fine, but only because it's faster than arguing." Grover seemed tense.

Over the next couple of hours, we came up with backup plans in case monsters came after us before we reached the van and Thalia got dressed into her regular clothes. Luke seemed more focused on whether or not Thalia was okay. As a result, I had nagging thoughts at the back of my mind, but I ignored them. Grover seemed tense about staying here. I asked him questions to distract him _and_ me.

"Who's Chiron?" I asked.

I didn't figure he was the original centaur.

"He's the activities director at Camp. He's also the ancient centaur, who's the son of..." Grover trailed off.

"Kronos?" I finished.

"Yeah." Grover seemed to get tense at the mention of Kronos' name.

For some reason Luke looked pale, but he got his color back as he talked to Thalia.

"What's Camp like?" I questioned.

"It's great. There's all kinds of training; sword fights, archery, canoeing, anything you can possibly imagine. Then there's the cabins-you'll get put in Athena, Luke will be in Hermes, and Thalia will be in Zeus. You and Luke will be surrounded by siblings and Thalia will get her own room. Plus, there's a great lake, woods for Capture the Flag, the strawberry fields are awesome, and we have a sword fighting arena. I can't wait to go back." Grover seemed to relax.

"Who runs the camp?" I asked.

"Dionysus is the camp director. You should call him Mr. D." Grover seemed tense again.

He kept chewing on cans, especially when he was nervous.

"How old are you?" I investigated.

"I should be a teenager, but satyrs mature twice as slow as humans, so I'm around your age mentally." Grover admitted.

"Cool." I grinned.

Grover relaxed and smiled back.

"I think we can go now." Luke decided after Thalia ate some Ambrosia and drank some Nectar.

She looked a million times healthier within seconds. Maybe we'll have better luck now that we have Grover. In hindsight, I was so wrong. We all walked outside and down a couple of blocks to where the van was supposed to be. But all that was left was our backpacks and the fortunately unbroken TV sitting in a van that looked like the entire roof was torn off, the mattresses were ripped up, and our food was gone.

"What the Hades?" Grover seemed confused.

"There must've been more cyclopses and they found our van." Luke deduced.

"Or something else." Thalia looked nervous.

"What are we going to do about the TV?" I changed the mood a little.

"We'll have Albert send it to us after we get to Camp." Thalia decided.

"Fine." Luke agreed.

"What's so special about the TV?" Grover seemed curious.

"We'll explain later." Luke said.

We salvaged most of our stuff, including my teddy bear, and Thalia called Albert about the TV. She hung up the pay-phone quickly in case of monsters.

"Off we go I guess?" Thalia asked.

"Yeah." Luke agreed.

"Okay." I said.

"Now." Grover urged.

So we were off on an adventure that would at first seem like a tragedy, but later be a cool story to tell.


	9. House of Horrors

**Chapter 9: House of Horrors**

**Annabeth's POV**

As we were traveling to Camp, we started going into rural areas. There were next to no houses in some of the rural areas. Grover took a bunch of wrong turns and so we were attacked by some monsters, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. Everytime we took a wrong turn, Luke gave Grover dirty looks because he didn't take Luke's advice on where to go.

"I'm the one with the map, and you're taking a bunch of wrong turns, so why don't you let me decide where to go?" Luke was agitated.

"Because I'm the protector and I'm supposed to lead the way." Grover insisted.

Thalia grabbed Luke's hand and he seemed to calm down a little. I'm cold, I never brought a jacket. I started shivering and Luke didn't notice. Thalia did.

"Are you cold?" Thalia asked.

"Yes." My teeth chattered.

"Here." Grover pulled a jacket out of his backpack.

I took it thankfully and wrapped it around me. It smelled like goat, but I didn't care. Then Grover had us turn off the road towards a cave.

"We were supposed to stay on the road." Luke gritted his teeth.

"I know, but she's cold and we might not make it to Camp by tonight, so let's just stay in the cave for the night. I'll get some wood for a fire." Grover said.

"Grover, get in the cave _now_!" An authoritive voice said.

"Dionysus? Yes sir!" Grover said as he ran for the cave.

"Luke." A more familiar voice called out.

"Hermes?" Luke walked into the cave.

Two Olympians?

"Thalia." Came a little boy's voice.

"Jason!" Thalia ran for the cave.

Huh?

"Annabeth." It sounded like my mommy, Athena.

"Mommy?" I questioned.

I slowly walked to the cave and saw no one inside. Just a tunnel leading somewhere. I followed the tunnel with curiousity. It separated into more tunnels. I wandered around a little bit until I found a bunch of skulls and bones in a little cavern.

"Ah!" I screamed.

It echoed. I covered my mouth and looked at the bones. Some of them looked normal, but most were obviously either from goats or satyrs. It's a house of horrors. I decided to keep moving quickly. I passed other caverns with similar objects and some with demigod weapons. There were even caverns with mortal hunting guns and other weapons. It made me nervous and I tightened my grip on the knife Luke gave me. I suddenly heard voices. I followed them. I saw light coming from a large cavern and inched closer slowly.

"Let us go!" Thalia screamed.

"You'll regret this!" Luke sounded extremely angry.

"And how will you make me regret this while you're tied up demigod?" A deep voice roared with laughter.

"I'm sorry guys, I should've listened to Luke's directions." Grover sounded sad.

I inched closer to the light and saw Luke, Thalia, and Grover hanging over a boiling pot. A huge cyclops was putting ingredients in the pot and humming a tune I recognized. It horrified me.

He was humming: "Fee! Fie! Foe! Fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he 'live, or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread."

Now Jack and the Beanstalk will scare me for the rest of my life. He ruined a childhood nursery rhyme. I was trying to come up with a plan, but I couldn't immediately think of anything.

"What about Annabeth? She might come for us." Thalia whispered.

"She won't last by herself, she's only seven." Grover muttered sadly.

"And if she came for us, the cyclops would kill her. She's not even close to being ready yet." Luke sighed.

I felt like someone just stabbed me. Luke's been telling me all this time that I'm better at things than I think, and now he's saying I can't handle it? Grover doesn't know me, so he at least has an excuse. Thalia is the only one who believes in me. I started to cry. I also made a slight whimpering sound. The cyclops' ears perked up.

"Ah, there you are Annabeth." The cyclops got an evil grin.

"Where are you hiding Annabeth? I've been looking for you since you ran away. You aren't going to leave me here with this cyclops, are you?" Daddy's voice came from the cyclops' direction.

Daddy? But he can't be here, I can't see him anywhere. The cyclops turned so I could see his face again.

"Where are you sweetie?" Daddy's voice came from the cyclops' mouth.

"Who are you impersonating?" Thalia was confused.

"Run Annabeth!" Grover practically screamed.

"You can't beat the cyclops, just run!" Luke yelled.

I cried harder.

"Annabeth, please don't leave Daddy here. I'll do whatever you want, I'll leave your stepmother." The cyclops used Daddy's voice.

I cried really hard. I knew what I needed to do. I slowly inched out of the darkness and into the light.

"That's right, come to Daddy." The cyclops had a murderous grin.

I inched closer until I was standing at his feet.

"No Annabeth!" My friends screamed in unison.

"Gotcha!" The cyclops roared.

Right before he grabbed me, I stabbed his foot. Hard.

"Gah!" The cyclops bellowed.

He grabbed his foot and fell over. I ran to a step-ladder near the pot and untied Thalia. She grabbed her spear and cut Luke and grover free. Then she stabbed the cyclops again as we grabbed our stuff. He turned into yellow dust. Luke came to hug me, but I ignored him and hugged Thalia and cried. Luke looked wounded. Grover patted my back and caught his breath. I was suddenly really tired and slumped down as I hugged Thalia tightly.

"We should leave and find somewhere safe. I'll carry Annabeth." Thalia suggested.

Luke and grover nodded in agreement. Then I assume I fell asleep because everything went black.


	10. Messages

**Chapter 10: Messages**

**Luke's POV**

I feel stupid. Annabeth did defeat the cyclops, and I think she heard me when I said that she wasn't even close to ready yet. That's probably why she wouldn't hug me. I'll apologize when she wakes up. I didn't mean it as an insult, but that's probably how she took it. Grover looked dead tired, but he was still walking towards something. I suddenly spotted a fire in the distance.

"Let's go that way." I pointed at the fire.

"What if it's more monsters?" Grover yawned.

"I think it's people." Thalia stated.

"What makes you so sure?" Grover looked like he was about to fall over.

"It's this weird feeling." Thalia scrunched her eyebrows.

"Feeling?..." Grover fell over.

"Crap." Thalia said.

"Let's drag him to the fire." I suggested mischievously.

"You do it, I'm already carrying Annabeth." Thalia snorted.

"Fine." I agreed.

So I dragged Grover and Thalia carried Annabeth towards the fire. I siddenly heard a bunch of girls giggling.

"But Zoë, why would Artemis let Zeus tell her to be here exactly right now?" A girl giggled.

"I don't know, I'm just relaying what I heard Phoebe." Zoë said.

"Why _here_? Now we're in range of that stupid _camp_." A girl groaned.

"Oh come on Fiona, what did they ever do to you?" Phoebe asked.

I could suddenly see a bunch of girls in similar outfits sitting around a fire on the other side of some bushes. They all had bows and some of them were fiddling with arrows.

"They're Huntresses of Artemis." Thalia whispered.

"Then it's not safe, they'll kill me just because I'm a man." I winced.

"Artemis is relatively nice and forgiving, so I don't think they'll kill you." Thalia whispered.

"No, they'll just skewer me to the point of near-death." I grunted.

Thalia rolled her eyes and walked into the light of the fire.

"Gah!" Some of the Huntresses screamed.

"Sorry, we just figured that Huntresses would help us rather than kill us." Thalia stated.

"Of course. Is it just you and the little girl?" Zoë questioned.

"No, there's a passed out satyr and a boy who thinks you'll kill him." Thalia rolled her eyes.

Zoë smirked. "It's safe, just come out."

"Zoë! We don't help _boys_!" Fiona screeched.

"He's with her, so I'll help just this once." Zoë rolled her eyes.

I dragged Grover into the fire light. Fiona looked at me like I was the most attractive man on Earth. It was creepy. Phoebe smacked Fiona in the back of the head and Fiona fell over. Zoë stifled a giggle.

"So you won't skewer me?" I checked.

"Not unless Artemis tells me to." Zoë seemed half amused, half annoyed.

"What happened, why are you out here?" Phoebe investigated.

"We were heading to Camp, Annabeth passed out after she took out a huge cyclops, and Grover passed out from exhaustion." Thalia summarized.

"Impressive." Zoë glanced at Annabeth.

"And you came _here_ for help?!" Fiona looked disgusted.

"We didn't know you were Huntresses until we reached the bushes." I snapped.

"Excuse Fiona, she hasn't slept with her _boyfriend_ lately." Zoë smirked.

Fiona gaped at her and Phoebe giggled.

"I thought Huntresses weren't allowed to..." I started.

"We're preparing to kick her out." Zoë wiggled her eyebrows.

"So can we stay here tonight?" Thalia asked.

"If Artemis says it's alright." Zoë decided.

So we walked to a tent that was seemingly bigger than the others. A beautiful girl was sitting inside talking to someone in an Iris Message.

"I was lucky to have Zeus agree with placing you here." A woman who looked like Annabeth said.

"I know, and I suppose it can't hurt to help your daughter and her friends." The pretty girl agreed.

"Artemis!" Grover suddenly woke up.

The pretty girl turned and gave us a smile.

"I have to go Athena." Artemis said.

"Okay. Be good to my daughter and her friends." Athena smiled.

Then the IM disappeared.

"Welcome to my camp." Artemis greeted.

Grover stared in adoration. Thalia just smiled.

"Mommy..." Annabeth grumbled.

Artemis smiled. "Set her down, you can all stay here. You'll be safe from Fiona."

Zoë giggled. She looked at Artemis like a girl would look at her mother. Then we heard a loud noise followed by a bunch of girls screaming. We all ran outside to see what it was. We saw a bunch of wolves chasing and being chased by Huntresses.

"Die mutt!" A girl shrieked.

Some of the wolves were howling and growling. Annabeth was awake and alert by this point and Artemis had explained what was going on.

"Fight back! We can't let Lycaon over run is!" Artemis shouted.

She and the other Huntresses ran to help their fellow Huntresses. Thalia, Annabeth, Grover, and I ran to help too.

"Thalia! Do you know how to use a bow?" Zoë yelled.

"Yes, but I kind of prefer my spear!" Thalia shouted back.

Annabeth ran to help Phoebe and Grover trailed after Artemis.

"Help me!" Zoë screamed as a huge looking wolf pounced on her.

"Gah!" A wolf pounced on me from behind and started trying to bite me.

"Help!" Zoë shrieked.

Thalia looked at Zoë, then back at me. She seemed confused. Then she ran to help me. As Thalia stabbed my wolf with her spear, Annabeth threw her knife at Zoë's wolf and both wolves turned to yellow dust. After that, it was easy to round up and get rid of the rest of the wolves.

"Thank you." Zoë smiled at Annabeth.

"You're welcome." Annabeth smiled back.

I kissed Thalia on the cheek as a thank you. Thalia blushed and I swear I saw Artemis smirk.

"You defeated Lycaon with a single throw of your knife, whatever you want is yours." Zoë grinned at Annabeth.

Annabeth grinned and got this adorable thinking face. A couple of minutes later, she said, "Can you arrange a visit with Apollo?"

Zoë looked confused and so did Artemis.

"Of course. Apollo!" Artemis yelled.

Apollo suddenly appeared.

"You actually NEED me?!" Apollo seemed excited.

"No, Annabeth requested your presence." Artemis rolled her eyes.

Apollo turned to Annabeth. "'Sup?"

Annabeth pulled him to a place with less people and started asking him questions.

**Annabeth's POV**

"Can you explain my prophecy to me? I don't really understand it, and it makes me nervous." I asked.

"Look kid, I don't know why the oracle told you, but you weren't supposed to know in the first place under Zeus' orders. But what I can tell you is, this is a part of your prophecy. Think of Zeus not letting me tell you as being the _No help will come from the King of the Skies_ part, okay?" Apollo vaguely answered.

"So you can't tell me anything?!" I was exasperated.

"Between you and me, Luke is one of the heroes in your prophecy, okay? Just don't tell anyone I said that." Apollo whispered.

"Okay..." I said.

Luke is part of my prophecy?

"And don't tell Chiron. He'll force you to hide it from the other hero." Apollo instructed.

"Okay." I agreed.

Then Apollo left.

**Thalia's POV**

Annabeth came back and seemed like she was thinking hard about something, but she wouldn't tell us what. It sucks to have a seven year old keep something from you. I watched as Luke sat down by her on a log.

"Look, I'm sorry about what I said about you not being ready. I didn't mean it as an insult, I just didn't know you were ready for a cyclops that huge. You even surprised me by throwing your knife and killing Lycaon." Luke apologized.

"It's okay I guess." Annabeth sighed.

"Can we just forget about it and move on?" Luke asked.

"Sure." Annabeth smiled.

Then Zoë came and sat next to me.

"You were brave today." She complimented.

"Life of a demigod." I smirked.

"I'll be direct, would you be willing to become a Huntress?" Zoë questioned.

Wow, that escalated quickly. Would I be willing to become a Huntress? No, I couldn't.

"Zoë, as much as I appreciate the offer, I can't. I have to take care of Luke and Annabeth and make sure Grover doesn't get them killed with all his wrong turns." I declined the offer.

Zoë frowned. "I think it's more along the lines of _you can't leave a man behind_."

I didn't like the way she said that.

**Luke's POV**

After everyone else was asleep, I got a 'message'.

"Remember Luke, I'm going to need you soon enough." The man from my other dream reminded me.

I need to get to Camp soon.

"I know." I said.

"See you soon Luke." He got that creepy grin and disappeared.

I woke up and bolted upright. He was in my dream again. I've got to get to Camp.


	11. Pine Trees

**Chapter 11: Pine Trees**

**Annabeth's POV**

When I woke up the next morning, Artemis was scolding a girl about 'stealing other people's boyfriends' and Thalia looked a little sour faced. From what I heard Artemis say, the girl had tried to ambush Luke with a kiss. Luke was sitting next to Thalia and he was completely red faced. Then Thalia noticed I was awake and smiled a little.

"How long have you been awake?" Thalia asked.

"About five minutes." I answered.

She smirked and we went to eat breakfast. I had Teddy sitting next to me and a couple of girls were either staring or giggling.

"What's his name?" Phoebe asked.

"Teddy." I said.

"Cool." She grinned.

Luke avoided all eye contact with ambush girl (aka Fiona), but she stared at him intently. She suddenly got shocked with static electricity and Thalia grinned. Luke rolled his eyes and laughed. Then we had a farewell and set off for Camp.

"Goodbye, and good luck." Artemis said the last part funny.

We all waved goodbye and kept going. We spent most of the day either walking or playing games. But when night fell, we all felt nervous. I suddenly heard a sound and we all stopped.

"What was that?" I was really nervous.

"I don't know." Thalia said.

"Camp shouldn't be far." Luke decided.

"Keep going." Grover looked scared to death.

We moved more quickly. Then the noises were closer. A bunch of cyclopses and other monsters from the Underworld popped out.

"Attack!" A cyclops roared.

"Kill them!" A Fury screeched.

"Eat them!" A Laistrygonian bellowed.

We all ran for the hill. Literally, there was a huge hill. We ran for it quickly, but the monsters were too close.

"Run, I'll keep them busy!" Thalia demanded.

"No!" Luke, Grover, and I all screamed.

"NOW!" Thalia ordered.

Luke didn't look like he wanted to, but he dragged me and Grover to the hill anyway. Thalia was fighting and doing good, but there were too many monsters, and one slashed her a lityle too deeply. She spat out blood and ran for the hill, but then she tripped.

"Thalia!" We all screamed.

She was dying. Then there was a flash of lightning and where Thalia was, there was suddenly a giant pine tree. The monsters were about to run up to us and kill us, but they hit some invisible force near the new pine tree. Then I realized, Thalia is the new pine tree. The flash of lightning must've been Zeus.

"No!" I grasped onto the pine tree.

"We have to go see Chiron." Grover insisted.

Luke pried me from the pine tree, but he was crying too. Little did we know, Thalia's pine tree would keep us safe for the rest of our lives.


	12. Home

**Chapter 12: Home**

**Luke's POV**

I felt numb. I was sitting in a big house listening to a centaur named Chiron talk about Camp, Annabeth sat in a corner crying, and Grover was being talked down to by some guy in a loud leopard print shirt. I think he said his name was Dionysus.

"Look Luke, Annabeth, I know you're upset, but you might want to know these things." Chiron tried to get our attention.

Annabeth cried harder.

"She's only seven and she just lost a close friend, give her time." I was crying too.

"Luke..." Chiron started.

"Tomorrow, when we're a little more rested, okay?" I just wanted to go to bed. Or die.

"Fine. Luke, you go to Cabin 11. Annabeth, Cabin 6." Chiron agreed.

"I want to go with Luke!" Annabeth protested.

"You can tell she likes him..." Dionysus muttered.

"Children of Hermes sleep in Cabin 11, Athenians sleep in Cabin 6. Hopefully you'll feel comfortable with your own siblings." Chiron explained.

Annabeth was starting to look red and she was crying so much, I'm surprised there wasn't a river going through the Big House.

"Look, it'll be fine. You get to meet people like you, and I get to meet people like me." I knelt down next to her and tried to wipe away the tears.

"Okay." She suddenly hugged me really hard.

"Dionysus, I believe Grover is too tired, so will you please show Luke where Cabin 11 is. I'll show Annabeth Cabin 6." Chiron requested.

"Fine." Dionysus looked bored.

He walked with me to Cabin 11. When he opened the door, there were a bunch of kids with the same mischievous features as me. They were definately Hermes' kids. There were a few kids that didn't look like me though. Must be the hospitality thing that goes with the God of Travelers.

"Welcome to Hell. I mean _Camp_." Dionysus shut the door behind me.

"Hermes or undetermined?" A kid in the corner asked.

"Hermes." I answered.

"Welcome to Cabin 11. I'm Chris Rodriguez, you're half brother." He twitched a smile.

"Luke Castellan." I greeted.

"There's an extra spot under my bunk. We don't have enough bunks." He motioned me over.

At least the bunk is high enough that I won't suffocate.

"Just use the sleeping bag and pillow under there. I keep extras." Chris directed.

"Are you the counselor?" I asked.

The kid was a few years younger than me.

"No, the counselor's just too _lazy_." Chris said the last part a little louder.

"Shut up Rodriguez." Some huge kid in the corner muttered.

He had one of the nicest bunks in the cabin.

"That's Hermes. Named after Dad. _Extremely lazy_." Chris emphasized the last part.

Hermes grunted. This will be interesting.

**Annabeth's POV**

When Chiron dropped me off at Cabin 6, I saw a bunch of blonde boys and girls who looked just like me.

"Stacy, will you please assign Annabeth a bunk and make her feel welcome?" Chiron asked.

"Sure." A tall blonde 19 year old grinned.

Most of Athena's kids looked cute in a nerdy way, but she looked like a super model.

"I'm Stacy." She bent down to my size.

"Annabeth." I was a little shy.

"Just put whatever you've got over here and make yourself at home." Stacy pointed at a bunk.

"I wish I could go home." I muttered sadly.

"Unless you go home for the school year, this kind of is your home now." Stacy looked sympathetic.

I just laid my head on my new pillow and wondered what Dad and Christine were doing. I even missed the twins.

**Frederick Chase's POV**

"Are you sure you can't find her Joe?" I asked my cop friend.

"I swear, we've looked just about everywhere and I can't find her." Joe promised.

"I'm sure we'll find her." Christine's eyes were red and puffy.

"You will. Tomorrow." Athena's voice spoke.

I turned around and saw her.

"Athena?" I questioned.

"I found her, she went to the camp I mentioned with some new friends. You can go there tomorrow." Athena looked somewhat sympathetic.

Christine didn't look jealous at all like I thought she would.

"How...?" Joe started.

"Not important." Athena snapped.

I should go check on the twins.

**Thalia's POV**

I'm stuck in a freaking tree?! Way to save my life _Dad_. I thought it would be cold, but I'm warm. Must be the bark.


End file.
